Next-phase agenda: pilot and refine STEM pathways, align STEM education with local economic demands, and plan a sustaining backbone organization¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

For the next phase, the report states the Community Advisors will "Develop and implement pilot programs to test and refine STEM pathways", begin strategic planning that aligns STEM education initiatives with local economic demands to prepare learners for high-impact careers, and design a long-term plan for a local backbone organization to sustain the regional coalition. Members expressed readiness, commitment to sustained engagement, and understanding that development will be iterative.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A local backbone organization to ensure the sustainability of the regional coalition
• Sustained member engagement and iterative development across phases

Constraints¶

• Members acknowledged potential barriers including access to inter-institutional data, an evolving political landscape, and a lack of financial and logistical resources

Target Learners¶

• Learners in San Diego regional STEM pathways, Pre-K through postsecondary

Target Learning Goals¶

• Preparation for high-impact STEM careers aligned with local economic demands

Affordances¶

• Inclusive Innovation Model Phases

Related Strategies¶

• Run one-week summer STEM career academies combining a project-based learning unit, an industry tour, and a family showcase
• Advance micro-credentials through a piloting coalition, a rigorous research agenda, and dissemination of best practices
• Plan long-term quantitative data collection and interoperable systems to evaluate micro-credentials' social mobility impact
• Phased policy agenda for building a statewide pathways system: immediate low-cost COVID-recovery steps followed by longer-term investments

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Babineau, K., Shah, Z., Jacobs, B., Miller, A., Alvarado, B., Aguirre, N., Fennelly-Atkinson, R., & Young, V. (2025). Building Bridges: Cultivating Interconnectedness for STEM Pathways in San Diego. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/254